How to Customize Your New Home in Laredo

How to Customize Your New Home in Laredo

When you build a new home in Laredo or choose one of WestWind Homes’ move-in ready homes, the options are nearly endless. We have floorplans for almost every family style and budget, and each one is just a starting point. We work with area residents so each individual moves into custom luxury that meets all of their needs.

If you wanted a cookie cutter house, there are plenty of those for sale, but that’s not what we build. Our buyers want homes that are unique and flexible, customized to their tastes. We start by supplying spacious homes with open floorplans, then let the buyer take over from there.

If you want to add a mudroom or deck, we can do it. If you’d like to change a cabinet pantry to a walk-in pantry or combine two upstairs bedrooms to make one huge playroom, that’s no problem. Changes can be as dramatic as moving walls or as minute as changing cabinet hardware. Read on for ways to customize your new home in Laredo.

Gather Ideas

Buyers often feel stressed, like they only have one chance to get everything perfect. That’s not completely true. In the beginning, all your choices are available to you, and you have some time to figure out what you want. During this stage, think of building a wish list.

You may have been planning the details of your new home in Laredo for years and already know exactly what you want. If that’s true, come talk to us. We’ll make your dream a reality. However, if you’re still refining your goal, you can still get started.

Spend some time looking at photos of floorplans, rooms and architectural styles. Don’t try to stick to any one category, just mark what you like. Use magazines where you can tear out pages or online resources like Pinterest and Houzz so you can create collections.

Then, go back through and identify commonalities. Maybe a large number of the photos have terra cotta tile and Mediterranean colors. You might notice you tend to like kitchen photos with a certain cabinet finish or you want colorful tile in the bathroom.

Try to identify if your preferred style is contemporary, modern, beach style, craftsman, industrial, rustic, Victorian or falls into another category. Bring all those ideas with you when you come to talk about your new home in Laredo. Also, add changes you already know you want to make like counter seating in the kitchen or a larger utility room.

Modify FloorPlan

In every WestWind community, we offer a number of flex floorplans. Choose the one that’s closest to your wants and needs, but realize everything inside is flexible. If there are aspects of it you wish were different, just let us know.

Walk through one of our model homes to get a feel for the size of each room and the flow of the house. When there are areas that don’t feel quite right, make a note. Also, note things you love so we can keep them just as they are.

Then, our experts will sit down with you and work through your list. If you don’t like where the stairs are located or the layout of a bathroom, part of what we do very well is help buyers achieve what they want. Since 1993 we’ve been working with buyers to build dream homes on achievable budgets.

Customize Your New Home in Laredo Exterior

Every time you pull up to your new home in Laredo, you should feel the pride of ownership. Curb appeal is also important for resale value. Here are a few ideas for customizing your home’s exterior.

Elevation

Elevations are the two-dimensional illustrations of a home’s exterior. When you look at any WestWind home floorplan, you’ll notice it comes with several options. For example, this is the San Augustin floorplan available in Lomas Heights.

As you can see, right out of the box you have multiple options for making your home unique, just by choosing one of several elevation options.

Exterior Colors and Materials

Our design center has a wide range of options for brick, stone and stucco combinations. We can help you find options you love and coordinate them with each other for a custom home exterior. If you’re using stucco or siding that requires painting, this is when you’ll choose a color that complements your brick or stone.

Lights and Landscaping

WestWind Homes all come with basic landscaping and exterior light fixtures, but you have the option to make changes. Frame your doorway with topiary or espalier. Plant a fragrant mimosa for soft, colorful blooms that last through the summer. Or, go low-maintenance and contemporary with a zen garden and succulents.

Improve safety with functional lighting in high traffic areas. Highlight your favorite architectural features with accent or decorative lighting. We have a range of impressive outdoor wall sconces, statement pendants and landscape lighting to help customize your new home in Laredo.

Plan Interior Customization for Your New Home in Laredo

Indoors you have a lot of choices to make. It’s not just about looks, you’re going for comfort, organization and functionality. When you build your new home in Laredo, you can customize almost every aspect.

Kitchen Customization

WestWind Homes builds with families in mind, and typically the kitchen is the hub for family activity. Go back to your original idea collection and identify the overall style you like best. Then look at the types of colors, materials and finishes that stood out.

You’ll have choices when it comes to appliances. Do you want stainless steel, black, or light colored surfaces? Are there upgraded features you want to include?

You’ll need to choose the style, color, material and hardware for kitchen cabinet doors. We already offer high definition countertops in a range of options, but some buyers choose to upgrade to granite, marble or quartz.

Backsplashes are showy, and they don’t require a lot of tile. They’re a great place to spend a little more on materials and make a statement. Install eye-catching pendant lighting over an island or bar to make your kitchen even more inviting.

Bathrooms and Laundry

Customize your home with a walk-in shower in the Master bathroom. Add high-end shower heads to create the feeling of a rain forest or spa. Once you move in, put down plush rugs and roll thick color-coordinated towels in a basket so your bathroom feels as luxurious as it looks. Bathrooms are also a great place for an impressive backsplash.

In your utility room, add open shelving to store items that don’t fit anywhere else. Consider a utility sink for muddy boots and laundry that needs to soak.

Flooring

WestWind Homes can put any type of flooring in your new home in Laredo. We have literally hundreds of options to choose from when it comes to carpet, ceramic tile, vinyl plank, wood flooring and more. We can even help you decide what color of grout will look best with your tile and other room features.

Make Customization Affordable

Families sometimes come in with a wishlist, then they get sticker shock when they receive a quote. If that happens to you, don’t throw your hands up and walk away. It’s possible to get the home of your dreams within your budget, sometimes it just takes some work and patience.

Once you know how much house you can afford, we can help you identify areas where you can save and the ones in which it’s worth a splurge. Most of the time, it’s a give and take. Sometimes families find they don’t mind putting less expensive light fixtures in upstairs bedrooms if it allows them to afford the chandeleir they really want for the entry. For some, paint grade trim on windows and doors is fine while for others, it’s worth cutting costs somewhere else to have stained trim.

Add Detail

It’s the little things that ultimately personalize a home for each individual or family. Sometimes the right piece of furniture and a colorful rug can turn a standard entry into a welcoming place for guests to arrive.

Mix elements to create contrast. For example, if you have wooden stairs, add a stair runner with a nail-head border to add color and warm metals. If you have cool grey or white cabinets, warm them up with bronze or antique brass hardware.

Personalizing Move-In Ready Home

Some buyers want a new home without all the stress that comes with decision making. We have move-in ready homes in almost all of our WestWind Homes communities that already have stunning exteriors and thoughtfully crafted interiors. You can probably find a new home in Laredo that already has flooring, countertops and curb appeal you love. After you move in, a few simple changes personalize it and make it your own.

Create a Statement Wall

Use paint in vibrant color on a single wall of your living or dining room. Or, cover a bathroom in colorful, patterned wallpaper that creates a mood. Some buyers add shiplap or beadboard to one wall in the master bedroom or along the staircase for warmth and visual interest.

Hang Photos and Artwork

Literally frame your family and your taste and hang it on the walls. Set out and place family portraits and hang custom artwork to make impersonal walls feel like home.

Soften Angles

Place colorful throw pillows on upholstered furniture. Hang curtains well above windows for a feeling of added height. Roll out rugs on tile and wood floors for softness and pattern. Buy a few potted plants full of greenery for a feeling of airy freshness.

Have a Party

Once you’ve unpacked most of your boxes, personalize the space by adding your family and friends. Throw a housewarming party to show off your new home in Laredo.

If you haven’t yet found your dream home, we can help you get started. Send us a message and our team will be in touch right away.